Dear Friend,

When we decided on the theme "Rise to the Moment" for the 2019 J Street
National Conference, no one could have anticipated just how significant a
moment this would be.

In Washington, President Trump is dealing blow after damaging blow to our
democracy, national interest and international standing. Tensions with
Iran could still spiral into war, refugees continue to face terrible
mistreatment at our border, a Middle East “peace vision” likely to endorse
permanent occupation could soon be released and Trump continues to lash
out at his political opponents with extreme and bigoted rhetoric.

In Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu is also fighting for his political
survival, fending off corruption charges and struggling to resolve an
intractable political deadlock which may mark the end of his prime
ministership. The outcome of the current coalition negotiations could help
decide whether the next Israeli government will try to move forward with
unilateral annexation in the West Bank.

At J Street, we know that with the 2020 presidential race heating up and
Israel potentially on the verge of new leadership, there’s never been a
more important time for American Jews to speak out loudly and clearly in
defense of our core values. That’s why this year’s conference, taking
place October 26-29 in Washington, is so important.

We have amazing speakers and programming in store, including 2020
presidential candidates and key lawmakers, Israeli and Palestinian leaders
and inspirational activists. We will have the chance to help shape our
national debate on Israel, give voice to the majority of American Jews and
gear up for the most pivotal election in our lifetime.

Truly, this is the moment our movement was built for.

[ [link removed] ]If you haven’t yet registered for the conference, you can do so here.
If you have already registered, share this link with your friends and
invite them to join you -- this is a moment no one who shares our values
should miss.

Thank you so much for your support -- we can’t wait to see you there.

Logan Bayroff
Communications Director

Around J Street

Pelosi, Schumer and more major lawmakers join J Street Conference lineup

[2]Schumer and Pelosi
Last week, we announced that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate
Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer will speak at our National Gala Dinner
honoring the incredible philanthropy and advocacy of Pilar Crespi Robert
and Stephen Robert.

Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal will also be
joining the gala program for a discussion on American leadership in the
Middle East, what can be done to repair the damage Trump and Netanyahu
have done to the US-Israel relationship and the impact of J Street’s voice
in the halls of Congress. At such a tense and important moment in
Washington, we’re pleased to welcome leaders who have been at the
forefront of the response to the Trump administration’s reckless policies
and increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior.

[ [link removed] ]Head to to our gala registration page to buy standalone tickets to the
gala, or add gala tickets to your current registration for a reduced rate
by emailing [email protected].
[ [link removed] ]Register Today →

Former Israeli PM Barak, party leaders Horowitz and Odeh confirmed for
Conference

[5]Horowitz, Barak, Odeh
As we edge closer and closer to opening night on October 26, we’ve been
confirming speaker after speaker for what promises to be our most
jam-packed conference program yet.

This week, we announced that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, now
an outspoken voice for the Democratic Union, will be a featured speaker at
the conference. Barak has been a leading advocate for the two-state
solution and remains one of the most vocal opponents of creeping
annexation and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s attacks on democratic norms.

He’ll be joined at the conference by the Democratic Union’s leader Nitzan
Horowitz and by Joint List leader Ayman Odeh, who heads the Knesset’s
third largest party. Following the recent bombshell news that his
coalition of Arab parties would officially step off the sidelines and
recommend Benny Gantz for prime minister, Odeh has emerged as one of the
most important political figures in Israel and a leading advocate for
equality, human rights and the urgent pursuit of a two-state solution.

Creators of “Our Boys” mini-series to discuss the show at J Street Conference

[6]Our Boys
The hit mini-series “Our Boys,” which chronicles the terrorist kidnapping
and murder of three Israeli teenagers and the price-tag killing of a
16-year-old Palestinian, has stirred a passionate and vitriolic debate in
Israel.

Described in Haaretz as “the most painful but strangely rewarding show of
the year, one that is not afraid to go to some very dark places in the
country’s psyche,” the show has drawn praise from critics and condemnation
from Prime Minister Netanyahu, who branded the series “anti-Semitic” and
called for a boycott of the station airing the show in Israel. J Street is
proud to welcome the creators of “Our Boys” to our 2019 National
Conference for a nuanced, in-depth discussion of their uncompromising
portrayal of a wrenching moment in recent Israeli history.

Our Israel: Profiling the work of J Street’s progressive Israeli partners

[7]hand in Hand School
J Street is proud to stand with Israeli activists and organizers who do
amazing work every day to build a better society and to help create a
better future for all Israelis and for their Palestinian neighbors. We’re
launching a new series of profiles -- entitled “Our Israel” -- detailing
the work of our progressive partners and their visions for the future.

For the first of these profiles, we spoke with Lee Gordon, co-founder of
the integrated Arab-Jewish school network Hand in Hand. “What I hear --
especially from students -- is that this is a place where they feel safe,”
Gordon tells us.

To read more about how Hand in Hand got started, how students, teachers
and parents wrestle with contentious issues and how they’ve dealt with
attacks on their schools, [ [link removed] ]please read and share the full story here >>

Gordon will also be joining us at the J Street Conference, as part of a
dedicated programming series on people-to-people links.
[ [link removed] ]Read more →

Stay up to date with the Israeli coalition negotiations

Earlier this month, the Israeli Knesset was sworn in for the second time
this year, with the specter of a potential third election still looming as
coalition negotiations remain deadlocked.

Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to hold the lead negotiating mandate,
which expires on October 24, but seems to have no clear pathway to forming
a government. Last week, Benny Gantz’s Blue and White suspended unity
government negotiations with Netanyahu’s Likud, accusing them of
negotiating in bad faith. We’re continuing to monitor the post-election
dynamics closely -- and share our analysis of where things may be headed
next -- through regular election updates.

[ [link removed] ]To stay on top of all the latest political developments from Israel,
sign up to our J Street Israeli Election Updates.
[ [link removed] ]Sign up →

Must Reads
New York Times
[12]Trump Israelis Watch U.S. Abandon Kurds, and Worry: Who’s Next?
[ [link removed] ]Read more →
Haaretz
[14]mourner Liberal Values Make Jews Everywhere Prime Target for White
in Halle Supremacists
[ [link removed] ]Read more →
The Atlantic
[16]Predict Benjamin Netanyahu Is No Longer Israel’s Indispensable Leader
[ [link removed] ]Read more →
[ [link removed] ]Donate →

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[2]Street Talk Logo
© 2019 J Street | [ [link removed] ]www.jstreet.org | [email protected]

J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who
want Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the Jewish
people. Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we advocate
policies that advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish
and democratic values, leading to a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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